Water soluble or water dispersible air drying enamels are finding wider application as industrial finishes. The main reason for this increase in the use of water as a solvent which is readily available, inexpensive, non-toxic and non-flammable. To offset these attractions, some difficulties exist by virtue of the chemical nature of this solvent, namely: high freezing point, low evaporation rate, high surface tension and tendency to corrode steel structures. Nevertheless, many of these difficulties have been overcome and more and more water based, air drying enamels are being used. For example, maleinized oils, or water based alkyds, are used commercially for dip application of films to various industrial items. In the automotive industry there is considerable interest and application of water based dipping primers. Another rapidly extending method of application of water based materials is by electrodeposition. With this technique paint can be applied evenly to various parts of an unevenly shaped substrate.
Also water soluble or water thinnable air drying enamels find wide use today in view of the fact that they produce a finish which dries and/or cures after a short period of application. They are also highly desirable since clean-up can be done with water. In those instances where the painted surface becomes scratched, marred or dirty, it is only necessary to touch up the painted surface with the original paint. However, in some cases this becomes impractical because of the necessity to save some of the original paint or it becomes inconvenient and time-consuming to prepare and clean up the equipment such as brushes or rollers.
Heretofore this type of touch-up painting, or coating operation was accomplished with the use of aerosol containers. In fact, paints and varnishes have become established aerosol products. Such products afford several distinct advantages in applying coating compositions especially when used on small objects with numerous or awkwardly situated surfaces such as toys, bicycles, machinery, etc. Although the aerosol package may seem comparatively expensive when compared with the conventional can of paint, it will be appreciated that the consumer does not have the trouble of cleaning up. Additionally, there is no necessity for the preparation and maintenance of equipment such as brushes, etc. Because of the exclusion of air from the aerosol package, aerosol paints have an almost unlimited shelf life.
Although, prior to this time, color matched aerosol paints have been available, all such paints have been of the oil base type which are formulated in solvent systems. As far as it is known, none of the oil based aerosol enamel paints have been formulated without solvents which are flammable and/or noxious.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sprayable air drying water-based enamel aerosol paint composition. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aerosol sprayable air drying water-based enamel paint which is easy to apply, does not foam and provides a good surface cover. It is a further object of this invention to provide an aerosol water-based enamel paint composition which is relatively safe for general use as being relatively non-flammable and non-noxious. These and other objects will become apparent from the description which follows.